Every game matters at the end of the season. The same is true for LG, who have been in the lead for over two months. With ace Adam Plutko out of the lineup due to injury and a doubleheader coming up, starting pitching is key for the lead. After much deliberation, LG has finalized the pitchers to be called up from the second team, and the rotation for next week’s doubleheader has been finalized.
LG manager Yeom Kyung-yeop revealed his starting rotation for next week ahead of the Jamsil Hanwha game on the 2nd. Kim Yun-sik will start that day and Im Chan-kyu will be the starting pitcher on the third. Yeom said, “There were many games canceled due to rain, so the rotation kept changing. I made the rotation based on the players’ physical condition and compatibility with the opposing team.”
Kim Yun-sik, who was sent down to the second team after the June 8 game against Gochuk Kiwoom, went through a long preparation process. As his pitching balance was completely broken, he prepared for the season from scratch in Icheon like a camp. He had plenty of time to do so, as the trade of Choi Won-tae freed up space in the starting lineup.
In his return to the first team after 86 days, Kim threw 80 pitches, allowing one run on six hits in five innings with one walk and three strikeouts. The most encouraging part was his velocity. His fastball topped out at 146 kilometers per hour. At times this season, his fastball has been in the low 130s, so this was a definite turnaround.
Early in the game, his changeup, which is his deciding pitch, also dropped nicely and induced a swinging strikeout. LG is likely to start Kim Yun-sik next week as planned.
When asked about Choi Won-tae’s start date, Yeom said, “He will pitch next Tuesday. We plan to give Won-tae as much rest as possible. He has already thrown more innings than last year (105.2). If it wasn’t for the rainout, I was thinking of canceling his roster, but with the rain, he’ll have 10 days before his next start.” “I’m going to pitch until next Sunday and avoid pitching every five days. I’m going to manage it steadily.”
Choi, who has thrown 129.1 innings this year, made his most recent appearance against the Changwon NC on March 25. In addition to managing his innings, he will also change his partner. Heo Do-hwan will partner with Choi Won-tae in the upcoming five-game series. Heo Do-hwan sits lower as a catcher than Park Dong-won, who is the main catcher, which is good for Choi Won-tae’s command. I also took into consideration that the results of the games with Heo Do-hwan after the LG transfer were better than the games with Park Dong-won.
With Choi Won-tae starting next week, the team is ready for the doubleheader on the 9th. Son Joo-young makes his first first-team appearance of the year. Im Chan-kyu will start the first game of the doubleheader and Son Ju-young will start the second game. Son underwent elbow ligament reconstruction surgery after starting the first three games of last year. This year, he pitched 53 innings in 13 games in the Futures League.
“In the second team, Kang Hyo-jong and Lee Min-ho are also starting, but the best reports are on Son Joo-young,” Yeom said. After Kim Yun-sik, Son Joo-young will join two left-handed pitchers in the LG starting lineup, which was full of right-handers.
Meanwhile, Yeom said of left-hander Lee Sang-young, who made his Futures League debut on the 1st, “I got a good report. Lee will prepare the starting pitcher in the second team. If we have a starter, he can do both starting and middle. As he increases his pitch count again, we’ll think about when to bring him up to the first team.”안전놀이터
Lee, who retired from the Merchant Marine in June, began working on his pitching mechanics after his first start on June 20. He raised his arm like he did before joining the army and made his first appearance on June 1 with his new pitching mechanics.
LG’s expected starting rotation next week
September 5 Won-tae Choi against Suwon KT~6 Casey Kelly against Suwon KT~7 Lee Jung-yong against Suwon KT~8 Kim Yun-sik against Gwangju KIA~9 Im Chan-gyu against Gwangju KIA in the first game of the doubleheader~10 Son Ju-young against Gwangju KIA in the second game of the doubleheader